Hope
Money was often tied to the idea of happiness.
Many believed that wealth itself was what made people happy.
But that was never entirely true.
There were those who found happiness in far simpler things, in moments and connections that had nothing to do with how much they possessed.
And so, Vergil began to ponder.
If he revealed that Mary was the Emperor’s bastard child, was it the right thing to do?
Her parents likely had no idea they had adopted royalty.
Or perhaps they did?
“Mister Vergil.”
The moment he tried to gather his thoughts, Mary’s mother spoke.
“Take Mary with you.”
“…Pardon?”
“Those people... the Emperor’s army… they likely came for Mary, didn’t they? That’s why you urged us to leave.”
Vergil alternated his gaze between her and Mary’s father. Neither of them looked surprised while Mary slept peacefully in her mother’s arms.
Vergil finally spoke.
“What is Mary, exactly?”
“It’s as you suspected. Mary is royalty.”
“......”
“But before anything else, we should introduce ourselves properly. My name is Hannah Auguste von Schäfer.”
Mary’s father stepped forward after her.
“And I am Adam Egbert von Schäfer.”
“We are what you would call a fallen noble family.”
“......”
Vergil’s eyes widened as the pieces finally aligned.
There were many reasons a noble family could be reduced to the status of the fallen, stripped of their status to live as little more than commoners.
Political purges were the most common.
An ill-chosen allegiance, or the suspicion of disloyalty toward the throne, was enough to erase generations of prestige overnight.
Others fell due to succession disputes, when backing the wrong claimant meant forfeiting everything.
Some families were ruined by debt, having their lands seized piece by piece until nothing remained.
Others, by fabricated crimes, condemned not for what they had done, but for what they knew or represented.
In an empire where power was absolute, innocence offered no protection.
But for the Schäfers, it was something else entirely.
“A maid who once worked for us…. She had apparently been intimate with the Emperor.”
The maid had never known who he truly was.
One day, she gave birth to Mary, and as expected, the Emperor, who had been nothing more than a Prince at the time, disappeared from her life without a trace.
Left alone as a single mother in need of work, she made her way to the capital, taking on one odd job after another just to survive.
Eventually, she found employment at the Schäfer Viscounty.
“It was peaceful at first. We knew our newly hired maid had a child, and we didn’t think much of it. Years passed like that. Then one day, she came to us in tears, pleading. She said her child would be taken away.”
Hannah swallowed before going on.
“We asked her why. That was when she told us the truth. The prince who was about to ascend the throne was Mary’s father. At first, we were shocked. We even told her, ‘Isn’t that a good thing?’”
But that wasn’t the reality.
When the Emperor finally ascended the throne at the age of thirty-nine, his official child was elevated to the status of First Prince.
It was the First Prince who stood in the maid’s way.
When she tried to meet the Emperor, the First Prince made himself clear. Neither she nor her child would ever be allowed anywhere near the throne.
Affairs and indulgences had always followed the Emperor.
Despite having an official wife, he had involved himself with numerous noblewomen under the belief that he would never ascend the throne in the first place.
But the maid was no noblewoman.
“When it was discovered that the maid worked for us, the rest was inevitable. The First Prince silenced us. He condemned our family under the charge of an Imperial conspiracy.”
“......”
“We fled after that. We kept running until we found our way to this village four years ago.”
She paused, then looked at Vergil.
“Do you remember the woman who was always with Mary two years ago, Sir Vergil?”
“Not really…”
When Vergil had first arrived in the village, he hadn’t paid much attention to anyone.
Most of them were outcasts, just like him.
“That was Mary’s mother. She died a year ago. A cold sickness common in the northern lands. Her body simply couldn’t endure it any longer.”
Mary moved slightly in her arms, still asleep, unaware of the history surrounding her.
“And so, Mary became ours.”
“If I may ask, how old is Mary?”
“Ten. The Emperor is quite the scum, isn’t he? He entered his official marriage at eighteen, yet slept with nearly every noblewoman in the capital. He even made appearances in the suburban villages outside it. Who knows how many children he has out there?”
“......”
“That is why Mary could never be allowed to exist. Not in the eyes of the First Prince. To him, she is not a child, but a threat to his claim. A stain that must be erased before it is ever acknowledged.”
Mary’s father, Adam, chimed in.
“We never intended to raise royalty. We only meant to protect a child who had nowhere else to go.”
Vergil looked at Mary again.
Ten years old. Ten years of running, hiding, surviving without ever knowing why.
“Will you take Mary, Sir Vergil? We don’t think we can keep her safe any longer. The village… this happened because of us… And I fear it’s only a matter of time before—”
“The First Prince is already dead.”
“Ah?”
“I killed him. With my own hands.”
Vergil sat down and leaned his back against the cave wall.
“And besides, that isn’t for me to decide. It’s for the child.”
The Imperial Palace was nothing but trouble. The First Prince had only been one threat among many.
There were the ministers, the remaining princes, perhaps even the jealous princesses, and the Empress herself.
And most of all, there was Richelieu, the King’s advisor.
On the surface, the idea of Mary being reunited with her real father, an Emperor who would likely welcome her just as he had all his other illegitimate children who were now recognized as royalty, might have seemed appealing.
But in reality, it would be anything but kind to her.
Vergil was certain. Mary would be happier and far safer with the Schäfers.
“For now, let me… rest.”
Vergil’s body, and he collapsed onto the cave floor as the wounds he had crudely patched up finally tore open.
Hannah reacted at once. She passed Mary into Adam’s arms and knelt beside Vergil.
“This might sting a little, Sir Vergil.”
“What are you—Ukh!”
A sharp pain rippled across his body as Hannah pressed her palm to his chest.
Light bloomed from her hand. Healing magic flowed into him, slowing the bleeding until it stopped.
Vergil clenched his teeth as the last of the light faded.
Hannah exhaled a breath and pulled her hand back.
“It isn’t good to hide your injuries, Sir Vergil. I’m sorry I didn’t notice sooner.”
Vergil let out a tired breath, the corner of his mouth lifting.
“...Thank you.”
* * *
By morning, time resumed its course.
The frozen released everything it had held in place.
The surviving knights paused only long enough to comprehend what had happened before deciding to return to the Empire, intending to deliver the somber news they would struggle to put into words.
The villagers who had survived were not so fortunate. Many were taken along as captives.
Others managed to flee in different directions with nothing but their lives intact, fully aware there was no village left to return to.
“How cruel…”
What remained was nothing but the aftermath.
The village lay in ruins.
Ice spikes jutted from the ground at irregular angles. Several homes had been reduced to ash. Bodies of knights and unfortunate villagers alike were scattered throughout the area.
With Vergil unable to move due to his injuries, Hannah and Adam chose to venture out on their own.
They searched what little remained, gathering any supplies they could find to bring back to the cave.
Many of the fallen villagers were people they knew.
Faces that had once greeted them every morning were now unrecognizable under the frost and ash.
Tears welled in Hannah’s eyes no matter how hard she tried to hold them back, while her husband, Adam, could only pull her close and shield her from the sight.
Whenever the Empire involved itself, tragedy always followed.
“We should hurry. We can’t stay long.”
Hannah nodded at Adam’s words, wiping her tears with the back of her sleeve.
She forced herself to stand, even as the village that had given them refuge when they had nowhere else to go no longer existed.
Time passed.
They had moved constantly, never staying in one place for too long, traveling wherever the roads would take them as long as it was far from the capital.
The journey had been anything but easy.
From time to time, bandits would appear along the roads, and each time, Vergil dealt with them carefully to ensure he wouldn’t leave behind anything that could reveal who he was.
He had to keep his identity hidden at all costs ever since a bounty had been etched to his name for the murder of the First Prince.
At the end of that long journey, they reached a village hidden deep in the western lands near the border of the Beastfolk region.
It was far from the Empire’s reach, and for the first time in a year, it felt like they might finally be able to stop running.
For the first time in a year, it felt like they might finally be able to stop running.
* * *
Bang——!
Vergil shoved open the doors to the saloon.
The place was crowded with patrons of all races, but the moment he entered, the noise died down.
“It’s that weirdo again…”
“Quiet. He might hear you.”
“Heard he killed a passing merchant yesterday. Yikes.”
Vergil ignored the whispers and walked forward as if nothing had changed.
People moved away from his path. A few eyes followed him warily, while others quickly looked away, unwilling to draw his attention.
He stopped at the counter and slammed a coin on the worn wood.
“A drink.”
The bartender nodded and reached for a mug. He was a beastfolk with the heavy head of an alligator.
He slid the mug across the counter, passing it to Vergil.
“Word’s been going around. Someone claimed they saw a witch enter the village this morning.”
Vergil’s fingers tightened around the mug.
“A witch?”
The bartender nodded.
“Yes. White hair. Wore a cloak to hide it, but that kind of thing stands out around here. Folks say she didn’t look lost either.”
He leaned in just enough that only Vergil could hear him.
“Might be the one you’re looking for.”
“I see.”
Vergil flipped another coin onto the counter. This time, it was gold.
Despite everything that had happened, he had never stopped searching for signs of Seris.
But unfortunately, those efforts yielded nothing.
He couldn’t help but admit that there were moments when he considered the possibility that she was already dead.
And yet, he still hoped that she might still be out there somewhere.
After all, ever since that day, there had been no upheaval from the Dragon Empire, no retaliation from the human capital, and no news of an Ice Dragon’s death anywhere in the world.
But there had been one piece of news worth remembering.
Two dragons had been found dead eight months ago.
It was most likely Seris’s doing.
“Thanks.”
Vergil held onto that thought as he turned away.
